St. Clair Shores · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in St. Clair Shores public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Residential accessory structure and deck variances
Three homeowners — on Brookdale, Milner, and Overlake — sought variances for sheds, second accessory structures, and a deck that exceed standard setback and coverage limits.
Graystone Consulting Invoices
The board's investment consultant has been sending incorrect invoices since changing management companies. A corrected invoice of $2,051.18 replaced the erroneous $6,752.60 bill.
Residential zoning variance for air conditioner placement
City ordinance keeps air conditioners out of side yards, but a LaVon homeowner argued the rear placement blocked his lake view and created patio noise. The board agreed the side-yard spot was reasonable — the adjacent neighbor has only a garage facing the unit.
Park Court vacation near Ardmore Elementary
Park Court will be formally vacated and decertified to fix MDOT's maps, but nothing changes on the ground — the school district agreed to deed its half back to the city, so the park stays as neighbors know it.
Panera Bread signage variance at 22601 9 Mile Rd
The new Panera needed five logo-bearing parking signs to reserve drive-thru and pick-up spots, even though directional signs normally can't carry logos. The board granted a variance with conditions, including the city's right to revisit sign placement later.
Board and commission vacancies and recruitment
Three new applicants will interview October 5, the Clerk will reach out to a past Cool City Committee applicant, and a committee seat opened when a member moved out of the city. Filling these seats keeps city boards functioning.
Sanitary sewer root control
Annual maintenance treating tree roots in sewer lines, approved at cheaper HGAC cooperative prices after bidding produced only one high bid.
Senior Advisory Committee visibility on city website
At a prior meeting, members noted the committee's listing was missing from the city's Board & Commissions page. A council liaison had agreed to investigate, and the issue was expected to carry over to this meeting.
Commission Meeting Schedule Change
The commission wants to move its regular meetings from Wednesdays to the second Monday of each month, with a possible 5 p.m. start. The time piece still needs a final decision.
2027 City Calendar Design
Commissioners reviewed the draft 2027 city calendar and asked that the August photo be adjusted to show less cement. They also began planning the 2028 calendar around a 'parks and facilities' theme, with a reminder to keep elected officials out of photos in an election year.
Hold Harmless Liability Agreements
The city received a legal opinion on Hold Harmless agreements for downtown improvements. Property owners near planned benches must sign waivers and show the city as an additional insured, with the city exposed only for gross negligence.
Harper Cruise street closure
B.A.S. Security gets to close part of Sunnydale during the August 26 cruise for a safe Kiwanis open party area — with resident access maintained through the rear alley.
Five-year Macomb County blanket maintenance permit
The city's blanket permit for emergency repairs and water and sanitary lead work in county rights-of-way expired, and the council was asked to approve a resolution renewing it for five years through 2031.
RJDA Family Booster Club charitable gaming license
The dance academy's booster club asked the council to recognize it as a nonprofit operating in the city so it can get a state charitable gaming license and hold raffles to support its competitive dancers.
Hughes Street vacation south of Hazelwood (PPC26007)
A 160-foot phantom street segment was vacated so MDOT maps match the ground; half goes to the family that has maintained it for decades, half to MDOT right-of-way.
Former Pizza Hut Site Code Violations
Qdoba at the former Pizza Hut site has been cited for not matching its approved site plan — overgrown brush, unfinished landscaping. The city issued a 24-hour cleanup notice, sent contractors, and will bill them.
Harper and Masonic Signal Upgrade Grant
The city will back Macomb County's grant application to modernize the Harper/Masonic traffic signal — safety upgrades that mostly cost the feds, with the city chipping in about $16,000.
Street Vacations on Paper Streets
Park Court and part of Hughes Street exist only on old maps — MDOT wants them formally vacated so its maps match reality. No actual streets are being lost.
Great Lakes Yacht Club bottomlands conveyance
The council gave local approval for the state to convey lake bottomlands under the yacht club's breakwater barge, with the club committing to paint and maintain the barge in coordination with neighbor Trader Todd's.
Accelerating small winter tax bills
The council again approved folding winter tax bills under $100 into the summer bill — about 14,600 parcels — saving roughly $11,000 a year in printing and postage.
Senior Center Bocce Court Renovations
The aging bocce courts get artificial turf, scoreboards, benches, and — for the first time — a full-length shade canopy, all paid with federal CDBG dollars rather than city taxes.
I-94 / 9 Mile cleanup program
The Waterfront Environmental Committee is stepping up to six cleanups a year, with the first on May 9 at 10 Mile and I-94. Council also flagged trash and landscaping issues at the storage facility on the northeast corner.
Commercial Cross Connection (Backflow) Inspections
A state mandate continues: HydroCorp will inspect roughly 400 commercial accounts a year and track 959 testable backflow devices, keeping soda or worse from siphoning back into the drinking water. About $36,775 a year for five years.